Recommend a book to me please

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Need a recommendation for your next book to read? Ask here and hopefully you will get some recommendation that you love.

[Brina]

Civil War- Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

[Hannah]

I agree, with Brina. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln is a fantastic book. You could also use the index/bibliography of that book to look for others.

I would also suggest Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam, Gettysburg, The Destructive War: William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall Jackson, and the Americans, and This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War.

If you would like fiction, Gone with the Wind is always a good place to start.

I also took a class on environmentalist history in the US and we read how the Civil War changed the American landscape. There's a section in The Republic of Nature: An Environmental History of the United States and some parts of Down to Earth: Nature's Role in American History.

Hope this is helpful!

[Brina]

Dan- I'm organizing a buddy read of Gone With the Wind in this group later this month if you want to participate.

[Kathleen]

Dan wrote: "Looking to read some stuff about the American Civil War.

Also, a long shot. I can't recall the title but the story involves Hong Kong in world war 2 revolving around a hotel, Canadian soldiers, an..."

Possibly one of the James Clavell novels? King Rat takes place during WWII I think.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

The Civil War: A Narrative this took me awhile to read but it was worth it. A good historical fiction is The Killer Angels an excellent story on the Battle of Gettysburg.

[Brina]

I'm biased, Doris Kearns Goodwin is my favorite nonfiction author so I hope you enjoy. Btw I goofed, byddy read Gone With the Wind later next month June 20 that gives you awhile to finish war and peace.

[Karen]

Dan wrote: "Looking to read some stuff about the American Civil War.

Also, a long shot. I can't recall the title but the story involves Hong Kong in world war 2 revolving around a hotel, Canadian soldiers, an..."

Hi Dan, You might be interested in This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War which is about the struggle of Americans to deal with effects that the high level of suffering and death had on the people of the country. I haven't read the whole book, but what I read was deeply moving.

[Marilyn]

Looking for books about the settling of the Canadian West by Canadian authors.

I just finished The Big Sky and plan to read The Way West. It got me thinking about the equivalent experience in Canada.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Debra wrote: "A good one to read, it's 700 + pages, Barkskins by Annie Proulx. This is a great history of the French that came to Maine."

I've heard good things about that book.

[Terris]

I really liked The Shipping News and Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx! But I haven't read Barkskins yet.

[Marilyn]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[Jen from Quebec :0)]

There's always NORTH AND SOUTH for American Civil War, of course!

[Jen from Quebec :0)]

I love all Annie Proulx's stuff- and Barkskins was worth it- better than The Shipping News, for sure- by a long shot!

[Karin]

Marilyn wrote: "Looking for books about the settling of the Canadian West by Canadian authors.

I just finished The Big Sky and plan to read The Way West. It got me thinking about the e..."

So far none of your books seem to deal with the WEST of Canada. Are you looking for fiction or nonfiction?

Canada was settled differently than was the US and was greatly influenced by the Canadian fur trade and the Klondike and Yukon gold rushes (the latter for BC and the Yukon, although the fur trade was also important). If the books your reading don't include either of those, then you are missing out on some Very Important Aspects of the settling of Western Canada.

The prairies as well. The main places in Manitoba near the Red River were totally dominated by the fur trade in their settlement. Plus many other places.

I was born a stone's through from the shores of the Pacific in BC, so grew up almost as far west as you can go--Vancouver Island, naturally, is further west.

Have you looked at classics by Canadians? One that is set in Manitoba, is Where Nests the Water Hen by Gabrielle Roy.

Also Very Important for Manitoba is the Icelandic Canadian settlements, and for Manitoba and some of Sask and Alberta, the Russian-German Mennonites (Prussians who spoke German and didn't intermarry, but who lived in the Russian speaking part of the Ukraine and Southern Russia for 100-150 years), both of whom were granted areas of Canada by the government.

Then, also, for BC, fishing & logging history is important, as is mining, and for the prairies farming and the oil sands.

So, I can come up with some novels and some nonfiction, depending on what you'd like to read.

[Darren]

I'm wanting recommendations for novels (rather than NonFic) set in the American Civil War

at the moment I'm looking at
Confederates
The Red Badge of Courage
Andersonville
The March
The Killer Angels

thoughts on the above?

others?

Thanking Yousall In Advance... :o)

[Tytti]

Well, there's obviously Gone with the Wind, but John Jakes is also written a trilogy about the era. They made it into a "miniseries" in the 1980's. (Though 12 episodes, 1.5 hours each for the first two books is hardly "mini".)

The North and South Trilogy: North and South / Love and War / Heaven and Hell

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Darren wrote: "I'm wanting recommendations for novels (rather than NonFic) set in the American Civil War..."

I loved March by Geraldine Brooks

You might look through these lists for ideas:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2011/0...
https://www.minnpost.com/books/2011/0...

[Melanti]

Darren wrote: "I'm wanting recommendations for novels (rather than NonFic) set in the American Civil War

at the moment I'm looking at
Confederates
The Red Badge of Courage ..."

I read The Red Badge of Courage for class in Jr. High. I remember liking it, but don't remember much else.

Cold Mountain gets a lot of love though it's more about a soldier trying to return home rather than about the war itself. It's kind of an allusion to The Odyssey.

[Laurie]

Darren, The Killer Angels is very good. Of course it's only about the battle at Gettysburg, but still it is an excellent telling of the lead up to the battle and the battle itself from both sides.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Darren wrote: "I'm wanting recommendations for novels (rather than NonFic) set in the American Civil War

at the moment I'm looking at
Confederates
The Red Badge of Courage
[book:Ander..."

Killer Angels is excellent. It is so clearly written I felt like I was watching from a hidden location.

[Simone]

I read the Red Badge of Courage in college. It's more complex than it might seem at first. If you read it in junior high, you might enjoy reading it again now. Also, I remember thinking that the 1950s movie was very good -- but it's been a few years.

[Marilyn]

Karin wrote: "Marilyn wrote: "Looking for books about the settling of the Canadian West by Canadian authors.

I just finished The Big Sky and plan to read The Way West. It got me thin..."

Karin: This is what I am looking for. I prefer fiction over nonfiction. Stories about early settlers whether it's logging, the fur trade or farming on the prairie. If you would suggest some classics by Canadian authors, that would give me a place to start. Thanks.

I have 90 books on my TBR list so I don't know why I am asking for more, but this suddenly struck me as interesting.

[Nadia]

I would love a recommendation on a good book. Thank you!

[Darren]

Thanks to all for help with Civil War suggestions :o)

Nadia - I just finished Mrs. Dalloway and would definitely recommend that!

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Nadia wrote: "I would love a recommendation on a good book. Thank you!"

Here's three choices I rated 5 stars

The Razor's Edge
Lamb in His Bosom
A Town Like Alice

[Sam]

The last book I finished was a 5 star read for me: Tell the Wolves I'm home by Carol Rifka Brunt.

[Sarah]

I could use a Shakespeare recommendation. I have read most of his tragedies and would like to try one of his comedies, but I can't decide where to start. Anyone have a favorite Shakespearean comedy?

[Rosemarie]

I like As You Like It and Love's Labours Lost.

[Angie]

Sarah wrote: "I could use a Shakespeare recommendation. I have read most of his tragedies and would like to try one of his comedies, but I can't decide where to start. Anyone have a favorite Shakespearean comedy?"

My favorite is Twelfth Night.

[Piyangie]

The Comedy of Errors is also interesting.

[Melanti]

My favorite comedy of his is Much Ado About Nothing

[Michele]

Melanti wrote: "My favorite comedy of his is Much Ado About Nothing"

Yes! And the movie with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson is a fantastic version, too :)

[Terris]

Melanti wrote: "My favorite comedy of his is Much Ado About Nothing"

Oh good! I'm getting ready to read this!

[Darren]

Please can anybody recommend a book about the Matewan massacre (or Blair Mountain war in general)
fiction or non-fiction